Trotline fishing reel



4, 1965 F. H. GRIGGS 3,201,890

TROTLINE FISHING REEL Filed Dec. 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 $8 FIG.

\\\\ a a I i mv/i INVENTOR. FLAVIL H. GRIGGS ATTORNEYS Aug. 24, 1965 F.H. GRIGGS TROTLINE FISHING REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24, 1963lIIilIIl /Il/ FIG. 3

FLAVIL H. smses BY g M FVML A TTOR NE Y5,

United States Patent v O 3,201,890 TROTLHNE FHSHENG REEL Flavil H.Griggs, Friendship, Tenn. Filed Dec. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 3339357 8Claims. Cl. lli-27.4)

This invention relates to a reel for use in trotline fishing, and moreparticularly to a reel for use in a boat for setting or taking up atrotline.

The conventional method of setting a trotline from a boat is to attachone end of the line to an anchor or support on the bank of the body ofwater and proceed from the bank in the boat, paying out the trotline asthe boat progresses away from the bank and anchoring the bitter end ofthe trotline out in the body of water. As the trotline is payed out,hooks are attached to the line at spaced intervals by short leaders sothat a single trotline, when set, will support a relatively large numberof individual fish hooks spaced along the length of the line.

In taking up a trotline which has been previously set as abovedescribed, it is conventional to proceed in the boat to the end of thetrotline farthest from the bank or anchor, lift the end into the boatand, by heaving in on the trotline, move the boat along the line towardthe bank. As the line is heaved in, the individual leaders and hooks areremoved from the trotline and stored in any convenient manner to preventthe hooks from becoming entangled with each other and with the leaders.This, obviously, is a slow and diflicult task which is accomplished onlyat appreciable risk to the fisherman.

Although numerous attempts have been made in the past to devise a reelmechanism which may be employed to set or take up a trotline with thehooks attached, these attempts have not been successful, insofar as I amaware, and the prevailing practice still remains as that outlined above.It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved reeling device for use in a boat for setting and taking uptrotlines with the hooks attached to the trotline. Another object of theinvention is to provide such a reeling device for use in a boat forsetting and taking up trotlines which will automatically release thehooks attached to the trotline as the trotline is unwound from the reel.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reeling device foruse in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines and having means forpreventing hooks attached to the trotlines from becoming fouled upon thegunwale 'of the boat upon paying out or reeling in the trotline.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reeling device foruse in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines which is easy tooperate and which requires only one man in the boat to set or take upthe trotline.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reeling device foruse in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines which is easy and safeto operate and which may be employed to store trotlines when not in use.

In the attainment of the foregoing and other objects of the invention,an important feature of the invention resides in the employment of areel mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a bottomflange which includes a first substantially radial section and a secondsubstantially conical section extending outwardly and downwardly. Aplurality of pins are mounted on the outer surface of the conicalsection of the flange and project upwardly and outwardly therefrom inposition to receive and support hooks mounted upon a trotline beingwound up on the reel. A guide is provided to lift and guide a trotlineand the attached hooks over the gunwale of the boat as the trotline isbeing wound upon or unwound from the reel. The guide includes anelongated arm having one end pivotally mounted beneath the reel forlimited rotation in a horizontal plane and a chock mounted on the otherend of the arm tosupport the trotlines and hooks.

The pegs mounted in the lower flange are of such size as to be looselyreceived in the U-shaped portion of the fish hooks, and are inclinedoutwardly so that, upon paying out of the trotline, the hook willreadily slip off the end of the pegs and automatically be released andpayed out with the trotline, with the guide serving to prevent the hookfrom becoming fouled upon the boat as the line is payed out.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent byreference to the following specification taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a reel constructed in accordance withthis invention and shown mounted in the bow of a boat;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the device as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE/3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1showing the means for supporting the reel and guide; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 more clearlyshowing the guide arm and its support means.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a trotline reeling deviceaccording to the present invention, indicated generally by the numeral10, includes a reel 12 mounted for rotation about a vertical shaft 14mounted on a substantially flat base member 16. The reel 12 includes acylindrical drum 18 suitably supported on hub 29 by integrally formeddisc 22. An annular fiange24 extends radially from the top of drum 18,and a flange 26, having a first radially extending portion 28 and asecond downwardly and outwardly, substantially conical shaped portion39, extends outwardly from the bottom of drum 18. Hub 2% is providedwith a first bore 52 to rotatably receive shaft 14, and a counterbore 34to receive bearing 36 to minimize frictional resistance to rotation ofthe reel. A handle 40 is secured, as by screws 42, to disc 22 tofacilitate manual rotation of the reel. A plurality of pins 4-4 aremounted on section 30 of flange 26, and project outwardly and upwardlyfrom the outer surface thereof, with the pins terminating at a pointbelow the upper surface of section 28 of flange 26.

A trotline guide member, indicated generally by numeral St), has anelongated arm 52 having one end pivotally mounted to base 16, as by bolt54 and nut 56, at a point beneath reel 12 near shaft 14. Arm 52 projectsoutward from beneath reel 12 and supports a chock S3 mounted on itsupper surface near the end thereof to support and guide a trotline 60and the depending leaders 61 and hooks 52 over the gunwale of a boat asthe trotline is reeled in or payed out as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2.Anti-friction means, such as wheels 64, are provided on arm 52 near theouter end thereof, to lend vertical support to the projecting end of theguide means and to facilitate pivotal movement about bolt 54. Wheels 64engage and roll upon a track as formed on base 16.

As shown in FIGURE 3, chock 58 is formed with surface discontinuitieshaving a relatively large radius, as at 68, 7%), to permit fish hooks tobe drawn through the chock without becoming fouled. Also, the chock ispreferably formed from a relatively light weight material, such as asynthetic resin material, having ahard, smooth outer surface toeliminate the possibility of fish hooks biting into the surface as theyare moved through the chock.

To use the reel device described above, a trotline is made up with thefish hooks and leaders attached, and

leadersbeing carried toward in the directionrof rotation'.

of the reel and the hook placed over the appropriate peg 44. The deviceis then place/din a boat, and secured in position, as by hingernernbers72, with the base and reel in a substantially horilontal position andwith 'chock 58 projecting over'andoutb oard ofthegunwale of the boat.The outboard end of the trotline isthen passed through i portmeansincludes a basemernber-andshaft means supthe chock and firmly secured toa suitable' aiichori'on the f bank, and the boat is moved away {from thebankiwith the reel permitted to run free to payout the trotline andhooks as the' boat proceeds. -As bestlse'en in FIGURE 3,

tially horizontal planei 9 as the trotline draws aleader out through thechock, the

hook attached'to the end of the leader will merely slide off the peg andbe drawn through the chock with the trot: line'into the water. f To takeup a trotline scribed, 'theend of thetrotline most remote from' the maybe placed on said pegs I positioned to; permit fish hooks stored thereonto slide therefrom upon unwinding of thetrotline.

2. The invention according to claim 1 including sup-- for storage, saidpins being porting meansmounting said reel-for rotation, and handle 1means for manually rotating said, reel on said supporting means. .7: l a

I 3. The invention according to claim2 wherein said suported by andextending upwardly fronrsaid basefor 're movably supporting saidreel forrotation in a substan- 4. The inventionaccordin'g 1" means for directinga trotlinefin a substantialyhorizontal using the reel devicehereindeline'onto said reeli V v a i 5. The inv'ention according toclaim 4 wherein said guide means includes "an elongated'arm'pivotedatone {and of said base member at a poin t beneath'said reel when bankispassed over the chock'and attached to'the drum' 1 and the operatorrotates the reel by'grasping and manually turning handle 40 withone'hand, As'the operator continues torotate the reel to wind thetrotline on the, drum, chock SSliftsthe trotline and hooks clear. of theside of' the boat and directs the line substantially hori zontally ontothereel. As a hook passes throughchock 58, the operator picks upthe'hooklwitli his'free, hand,

leads it forward, and places item the appropriate peg-:44

said reel is mounted 'on said vertically extending shaft for 7 limitedrotation within ahorizontal plane, and chock mean's'on the other end ofsaid arm and extending upwardly therefrom' to' support a trotline beingwound upon a or unwound from said reel.

6. {The invention accordingtoclaim 5 including means verticallysupporting said elongated arm at a, point intermediate-the pivot pointandjfsaid chock while permitting while continuing to'r'otate the drumwith the other, hand." I

Thus, the fisherman, by rotating the reel, simultaneously 30.

winds the trotline on the drum and propells the boat toward the bankWhere the trotline is anchored, leaving the other hand free to) placethe hooks on the appropriate pegs as they .pass through the chock.No'problemisjprei sented in maneuvering the boat since the guide ispivotally mounted'beneath the reeland will'always assume the appropriateposition, within reasonable limits, with respect Fish'vhooks which are.placed on the -pegs jkt t w ning 4 0 V 7 "l Comprising abase member,shaft means supported by flat against the conical rsurfaceportion 'oithebottom flange. thereby eliminating the tendency offthe hooks to vtumble and become fouled as the other trotline is lunreeled. Also, the.outer portion of the: flange extends be apparent: to one skilled in theart andwhich come within the spirit and scope of my invention. x Iclaim: v

1. A deyice for usein setting and up trotlines comprising a reel havinga drum portion upon which a rotation of said arm about said pivotalsupport.

7. A trotline reel comprising a base member, a shaft extending upwardfrom the base, a reel removably mounted on said shaft for rotation in asubstantially,horizontal planefsaid reel having top-and bottom radiallyextending flanges, handle meanson'said reel for manually rotating saidreelvwithr'espect tosaidjshaft, a plurality ofcircumfere'ntially spacedpins on said botto'mfiange for re- V leadersand hooks'over the gunwaleof-a boat when said 'reel is employed to set or take up a trotline.

e 8. Atrotline reel for setting,-taking up, or storingtrotandextendingupwardly from said base, a reel removably beyond thepegs" to actias a guardvfor the hooks to permit handling of the reelz'without danger lfrorn the books so 45 illustrated apreferred embodiment ofmy invention, I wish it understood that I 'do not intendto b'erestricted: solely thereto,Lbut-that I do intend to cover allembodimentsthereof which would trotline may be wound, a radiallyextending flange at one 7 end of said drum, a flange at the other end ofsaid 7 having a first radially extending portion and a secondsubstantially frustro-conical portion extending outwardly. and

downwardly from said first portion, and a plurality, ofpin membersmounted on the other surface .of said second depending ffrorn a trotlinebeing wound upon saidreel v and bottom-radiallyextendingflanges, meanson the bottorn-flangeefor receiving and releasibly retaining fish hooksa attachedto leaders depending from a trotline being wound upon saidreel in position to be released; as the trotline is unwound from saidreel, and guide means for directing a trotline and-the dependent leadersand hooks, over the gunwale of a boat when said reel is employed: to.setor take up a tro tline, said guide means including a'laterallyextending arm pivotally mounted at one end to'said base beneath saidreel for limitedrotation'in a horizontal plane,

I and chockmeans mountedlonthe other endv of said arm a m m ae? 98,73,3'10/61 Norway; 1

ABRAHAM o. TONE, Priniary nema; I RAY Exalfllifidr,

to claim 3 including guide UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No. 3,201,890 August 24, 196

Flavil H. Griggs It is hereby certified that error appears in the abovenumbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patentshould read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 62, for "other" read outer Signed and sealed this 22ndday of February 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner ofPatents

1. A DEVICE FOR USE IN SETTING AND TAKING UP TROTLINES COMPRISING A REELHAVING A DRUM PORTION UPON WHICH A TROTLINE MAY BE WOUND, A RADIALLYEXTENDING FLANGE AT ONE END OF SAID DRUM, A FLANGE AT THE OTHER END OFSAID DRUM HAVING A FIRST RADIALLY EXTENDING PORTION AND A SECONDSUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLYFROM SAID FIRST PORTION, AND A PLURALITY OF PIN MEMBERS MOUNTED ON THEOTHER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND PORTION AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY ANDUPWARDLY THEREFROM, WHEREBY FISH HOOKS ATTACHED TO THE ENDS OF LEADERSDEPENDING FROM A TROTLING BEING WOUND UPON SAID REEL MAY BE PLACED ONSAID PEGS FOR STORAGE, SAID PINS BEING POSITIONED TO PERMIT FISH HOOKSSTORED THEREON TO SLIDE THEREFROM UPON UNWINDING OF THE TROTLINE.